The Italian publishing house, Notitempo, has published an exciting cinematic book entitled "The Future Was Now: Genius and Madness in the Summer That Changed Cinema" (Il futuro era adesso. Genio e follia nell'estate che cambiò il cinema) by the American critic and author Chris Nashawaty. The 312-page book, translated by Stefano Peri, takes us back to the scenes of 1982, the pivotal moment that witnessed the birth of contemporary commercial cinema.The book focuses on eight exceptional weeks in the summer of 1982 in the United States, which witnessed the invasion of theaters by eight science fiction and fantasy films, all of which immediately or gradually turned into icons and popular culture (Cult Movies) around the world. This boom began with the stunning success of the 1977 film Star Wars, which alerted major production companies to the power of fan bases and commercial product sales.That summer witnessed a torrent of visual cinematic masterpieces that explored new and disturbing worlds, and the list of eight films is as follows:
- *E.T.* (E.T.)
- *Blade Runner* (Blade Runner)
- *Tron* (Tron)
- *Star Trek II* (Star Trek 2)
- *Conan the Barbarian* (Conan the Barbarian)
- *Poltergeist* (Poltergeist)
- *The Thing*
- *Interceptor – The Road Warrior* (Mad Max 2)Nashawati explains that these works, despite their disparity and different artistic and commercial levels, shared a revolutionary spirit and a rebellious visual vision. Thanks to this rush, science fiction and fantasy cinema came out of the fringes - where they were classified as cheap entertainment for “nerds” and teenagers - to take off and completely dominate Hollywood.The book traces the genius and madness of these filmmakers (such as Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, and Ridley Scott), innovative technicians, and talented executives, tracing the complex behind-the-scenes shooting that paved the way for the era of “Blockbusterization” or the absolute dominance of blockbusters.
